Coats, Fisher win nominations

Former Sen. Dan Coats won Indiana’s Republican primary Tuesday, giving him a chance to reclaim his old seat this fall.

With less than 40 percent of the vote in a five-way primary, Coats was one of several establishment-backed candidates in three states who survived– but did not thrive –on an Election Day with fairly low turnout.

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Elsewhere in the Hoosier State, two GOP veterans won their primaries but without majorities. Rep. Dan Burton won a chance to run for a 15th term this fall with less than 30 percent of the vote. Rep. Mark Souder won his four-way primary with 48 percent.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher defeated Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to win the Democratic primary for Senate. Fisher had the strong support of most of the Buckeye State’s Democratic establishment, including Gov. Ted Strickland. He outraised and outspent his opponent, who drove around the state on an old school bus and didn’t air a single television advertisement.

Despite those advantages, he won by less than half the margin that two recent polls had projected. That suggested both that the undecided broke Brunner’s way in the final days and that support among the base for Fisher’s fight against GOP nominee Rob Portman this fall could be somewhat tepid.

North Carolina Democrats will face a runoff next month after no candidate got 40 percent in the Senate primary. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall led former State Sen. Cal Cunningham, who has backing from party leaders in Washington, by nine points. But she had only 36 percent of the vote in a five-way race.

The winner on June 22 will face first-term Sen. Richard Burr, who handily beat back a handful of little-known opponents in the Republican primary.

North Carolina Republicans, though, will have three runoffs of their own in contested House primaries, including one in a district Republicans see as a prime pick-up opportunity.

In the eighth district GOP primary, military veteran Tim D’Annunzio edged out Harold Johnson in a six-way race with 37 percent. Thirteen thousand more Democrats turned out in that district though. Nancy Shakir got 37 percent in her challenge from the left to Rep. Larry Kissell (D), who she was upset with for voting against health care reform.

Two House Republican incumbents, Howard Coble and Patrick McHenry, both won their own primaries with a troublingly low 63 percent.

Coats, who announced his candidacy in February after being recruited by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, had faced resistance and a somewhat lukewarm reaction back home. State Sen. Marlin Stutzman, who had the backing of many tea partiers and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, pulled an impressive 29 percent Tuesday. Former Rep. John Hostettler trailed with 23 percent.